Flying-machine



J. D. ROOTS.

FLYING MACHINE. APPucAT'loN, FILED MAY 2s 191s.

f 1,364,522. Patented .1311.4, 1921.

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1.0. BOOTS. FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 281918.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921'.

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J. D. ROOTS.

FLYING MACHINE.

. I APPLICATION FILED MAY 28 I9I8 1,364,522. I 1 v Patgnwd 11111921.

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1. D, Roofs. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28 1918.

I I I I I Patented Ja. 4, 1921.l

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JAMES DENNIS ROOTS, 0F WEST KENSTNGTON, LONDON, ENGLAND.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed May 2S, 1918. Serial No. 237,141.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES DENNIS Roo'rs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, resieing at 5S Avonmore road, West Kensington, London, lV. 1st, England, have invented Flying-vlaeliines, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to anew construction and arrangement of flying machine of the moving wing type, by which extremely simple mechanism is provided for producing mechanically the flying movements of the wings of birds and of some insects.

l provide a disk securely mounted on a vertical or approximately vertical shaft at asuitable angle to the shaft axis, the disk being preferably integrally formed with'its hub or boss, which is keyed to the shaft, or the disk may be integrally formed with the shaft. The angle will vary according to the length of wing the disk is to operate and the stroke it is desired to give the wing, but convenient angles of stroke are from 26 degrees to 32 degrees, that is to say the disk being set from 13 degrees to i6 degrees out of the true right angle position or normal to the shaft axis.

l provide a carrier to which are secured the two main spars of the wing, the carrier being so mounted on the disk that it shall receive and have transmitted to it all the varying oscillating movements of the disk but not its rotation.

'The said carrier may be differently mounted on the disk but the method preferred is to provide a ring having an internal groove, fitting around and overlapping the periphery of the disk, the interior surface of the groove or annular' recess being of U form for this purpose. rThe ring is formed of two parts divided in the plane of the groove. Near the periphery of the disk and on each side of it l provide a groove for a race of balls or rollers a corresponding groove facing'the disk being formed on each arm or iiange of the U groove. These two ball races one on each side of the disk are main ball bearings by which the requisite varying angles of incidence and attack are given to the wings by the disk throughout the up and down strokes as well as providing the stroke movement. l provide on the edge of the disk a groove for a smaller race of balls or rollers, a groove facing it being formed in the bottom of the carrier U groove. This ball race forms a thrust bearing for the carrier and the wing mounted thereon, taking the end push or pull on the wing produced by the wind or by gravity.

The two main spars of the wing are bolted to the carrier in suitable manner, as for example by steel plates, or they may be bolted between. the two parts of the said ring carrier, and extensions of the metal carrier are then provided on each side to embrace the wing spars which may be of wood or of steel tube or the like. rlhe ring carrier in plan therefore appears of rectangular form.

The engine shaft is preferably arranged parallel with the line of flight with a worm secured thereon and with worm wheels engaging the worm diametrally opposite. The worm wheels are keyed or secured to the said vertical shafts carrying the disks the vertical shafts being on each side of and at right angles to the crank shaft. Ball or roller and thrust bearings are provided on each vertical shaft.

On the crank shaft at the other end of the engine a similar worm may be fitted engaging worm wheels on vertical shafts carrying like disks and spar carriers to that before described, so that by these means each engine may serve to drive two pairs of wings, and a point of importance, while one pair of wings is making its upstroke, the other may be making the down-stroke, or alternatively and preferably, in order to obtain a more uniform resistance from the wings and steadiness of action, when the one pair is at dead center at the top or bottom of the stroke the other may be mid-way in the stroke.

The fore and aft secondary frame members of the wing may be of similar construction to those in an aeroplane, but l may prefer to make two-thirds or thereabout of the wing rigid and the rear third or thereabout fieXible. For this purpose each cambered frame portion terminates in two steel ribbon springs of which one may be half the length of the other. The steel springs are covered with suitable canvas or the like to form the said flexible portion of the reciprocating wings.

I form with each carrier or each wing means for preventing any rotary movement of the carrier and wing on the disk which may be variously arranged, as for example, a projecting pin parallel with the main wing spars to which is fitted a single link conf Y illustrating my nected at the other end to the frame or body of the machine, but as this gives an are movement tothe wing, I prefer to integrally form pins in opposite pairs with each carrier but at right angles with the plane of reciprocation of the wing, and I connect the oppositely moving carriers by a link on each side of the carrier (front and rear).

Ten or even twenty such engines, each provided withl two, four or more pairs of wings, may be fitted in one machine, the crank shafts being placed in line or in succession at intervals along the interior of the body of the machine. Each engine crank shaft may be provided with friction or other clutch connection to the next such shaft, and friction clutches may be provided on the vertical shafts whereby one or both pairs of Vwings on the engine may be permitted to move to the dead center of the disk when the engine fails, or is stopped for repairs without interfering with the other engines. The wings thus stoppedy reciprocating serve as ordinary planes with small resistance, the angle of incidence for each dead center position may be conveniently l degree or 0 degree. One or even two engines in the fore and aft line with their connected wings may be stopped by failure or for repairs without interrupting the action of all the remaining engines and wings.

For control purposes I may provide a tail plane of Vlarge area with a worm and quadrant or nut to vary slightly its angle of incidence, the elevator and rudder are of usual aeroplane pattern.

Instead of the carrier being formed with an annular groove tting a single disk on the shaft, two disks might be rigidly secured to the shaft, or a single disk with a U groove with an annular flange on the carrier fitted between twoball races, that is to say, transposing the chief parts previously described.

The accompanying sheets of drawings invention showing the preferred form of construction are to a certain extent diagrammatic.

Figure l is an elevation of a pair of disks and carriers shown in section, mounted upon their 1vertical shafts.

` Fig. 2 is a seotionfof a disk and carrier in a vvertical plane at right angles to that shown f Fig. 3' is a 'plan of a V type aero engine endfof'the engine.

"Figfll is a diagram wing.

Fig; 51s a planvof section through a a flying machine provided with arseries orsuccession of engines each litted with two pairs'of oscillating or -1 reeiprocating wings,

the engine.

one pair at each end of s "Fig 6 fis a-sectionshowingan alternative method of mounting the main wing arms or members on the carrier.

Fig. 7 is a section of a modified arrangement of disk and carrier.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, A is the disk which is preferably made of steel formed integrally with the hub or boss B, the disk being at a suitable angle to the axis of the hub. The hub B is secured or keyed upon the vertical shaft C which is carried in bearings, see Fig. l, at the upper and lower ends. The bearing D provides for both journal and thrust in either direction, the bearing E is journal only. The bearings as shown are mounted on steel which are rigidly secured at the end of the engine, conveniently to the upper and lower part of the crank case, but overhanging brackets cast integrally with the crank case preferably carry these bearings. G is the carrier divided into two parts G1, G2, and bolted together as shown, the inner flange of each is provided with a ball race or groove opposite a corresponding groove formed near the periphery of the disk A for the reception of races of balls H, H1, on the upper and lower sides of the disk respectively. The lower part (il of the carrier is provided with another `groove exactly opposite a corresponding groove formed in the edge of the disk for the reception of another racc oi' balls IIg. r`he ball races H, H1, are journal races transmitting to the carrier the oscillatory movements of the disk A, the ball race Iig is a thrust bearing race to oppose end thrust onthe wings. The main frame members or spars I, I1, of the wing, see Fig. 2, are bolted between the flanges Gl, Gl, provided on each side of the carrier and formed integrally with the parts G1 G2 respectively. The shaft C has keyed thereon the worm wheel J by which the shaft and disk A are rotated.

K is the engine crank shaft shown in section in Fig. l, on which is keyed the worm L which meshes with and drives the worin wheels J, J1, which are alike on each side of it. The two shafts C, C1 are therefore'driven at the same speed in opposite directions. rlhe disk A1, hub B1, carrier GX, and wing members I2 I3 (see plan, Fig. 3), and shaft C1 with the other parts shown on the left side of Fig. l are similarly constructed andv operated to those described on the right side of Fig. l, the angle ofthe disk relatively to the shaft 'axis is also the same and consequently the wing members I, il, and I2, I3, and the wings carried by them, see Fig. 5, havey similar movement, both wings move upwardly and downwardly together, and have the same varying angles of incidence.

lilach wing and carrier is prevented from partaking of.. .the :movement .of rotation vof their disk by the links M, M1, which are mounted on pins on each side of the carrier, see Fig. 3, plan, placed exactly in the center line of each carrier normal to the plane of wing oscillation. The link M is mounted at one end on the pin N on the carrier G and at the other end on the pin N3 of the carrier GX, the link l 1 on the other side is similarly mounted on the pins N1, N2.

Although a V type of engine IV is shown in the drawings, any suitable aero engine may be employed, and it will be understood in referring to Fig. 3, that the disks and carriers at the rear end of the engine, and the corresponding wings are of the same construction and operation as those described with reference letters at the end of this figure. In fitting, the rear pair of wings is preferably timed to be at the dead point of its strokes while the forward pair of wings is at midstroke.

Referring to Fig. 4, the main wing members I, I1, may be arranged equally spaced in the rigid portion of the wing while the rear portion thereof is made flexible by means of two or more strips of steel I4, I5, at intervals along the wing upon which the canvas or like covering for the rear por` tion of the wing is secured. The remainder ,of the rigid portion of the wing is constructed similarly to those on an aeroplane. I/Vhen the wing is making the down-stroke, the flexible rear edge will bend upwardly and on the up-stroke will bend downwardly as indicated in dotted lines.

Bracing wires as indicated by dotted lines G-O are secured to steel rods indicated by the lines O, said steel rods being rigidly secured to and projecting from opposite sides of the carriers, the same being illustrated in connection with only the carrier G at the right side of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 shows a flying machine with a succession or series of engines each with two pairs of wings attached in the manner shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with a cigar shaped body Z provided with a tail plane Y adjustable in known manner as to its angle of incidence. An elevator plane may be placed at-the head of the machine (not shown) of the ordinary aeroplane construction and means may be provided for operating both simultaneously. A rudder X is pivoted behind the fin V at the rear and operated in known or suitable manner.

A greater' space might be provided than is shown between the rear wings of one engine and the leading edge of the front pair of' wings of the next engine.

Referring to Fig. 6 designed to show another method of securing the wing members to the carrier, the disk and carrier are of similar construction to those shown in Figs. l and 2, except that the flange G2 is eX- tended inwardly, and the wing members I, Il'are bolted thereto by means of the steel plates l), P1. The pins N, N1, are formed integrally in this construction with the lower flange of the carrier. Fig. 6 is otherwise a similar section to that shown Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 7, the U shaped groove is in this modified construction formed as part of the disk A4, the arts being transposed. The lower flange A5 of the U groove is formed integrally with the disk, the upper flange A6 is bolted thereto. The inwardly projecting flange R4 of the carrier is fitted between the rings of balls H, H1. In this construction the thrust ball bearing ring II is in opposed grooves between the edge of the flange R4, and the U groove. The wing members I I1 are bolted between flanges R5, R6, formed integrally with the ring flange R4.

In the aeroplane or propelled glider, the weights carried and the effective range are alike extremely limited, notwithstanding some specially prepared known flights, because it is impossible to construct an aeroplane with wings placed in succession one pair behind the other along an extended body without an immense fall in efficiency amounting in some cases to forty per cent. in the case of one pair of planes placed behind a leading pair. For obvious reasons a plurality of superposed planes beyond three or four is equally impossible, one reason being the difficulty of safe landing with a top-heavy structure.

By means of this invention a series of pairs of wings may be placed along an extended body as herein shown and instead of the efficiency of the second and succeeding pairs of wings being decreased, the efliciency, I have satisfied myself by means of small models, is considerably increased. The power moreover in this invention is ap plied directly instead of indirectly as in the aeroplane or propelled glider.

Although this machine may not be so fast as the aeroplane, it will carry far greater weights of guns, bombs, or goods, and in its capacity for carrying a larger quantity of fuel must have a far greater range of operations.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a flying machine, a pair of wings, and means whereby the pair of wings is reciprocated and simultaneously have their angles of incidence and attack progressively varied to correspond with the position of the wings with relation to their stroke, and the stroke of the wings is simultaneously effected in substantially the same plane with relation to the machine, said means including two shafts arranged in an approximately vertical 4plane and adapted to rotate in opposite directions, and two obliquely arranged disks each fixed on one of said shafts, the said wings being mounted in substantially the same plane as the plane of said disks.

2. In a flying machine, a disk secured on a shaft at an angle with the shaft axis, a carrier mounted thereon but not rotated thereby, and a wing fixed to the carrier, the said disk serving to continuously and progressively vary the angle of incidence of the wing.

3. In a flying machine, an engine, a pair of wings, and means whereby the wings are reciprocated and the angles of incidence and attack are progressively varied to correspond with the position of the wings in their strokes, said means including two approximately parallel vertical shafts located equidistant from the engine shaft, with means for driving the said shafts at the same speed but in opposite directions.

In a flying machine the combination of an engine with a pair of shafts driven thereby in opposite directions, wings mounted on the shafts and means on each shaft for operating the wings comprising a disk placed at an angle with the shaft axis whereby each wing is oscillated, and simultaneously the angle of incidence of each wing is varied to correspond with the stroke position of the wing.

5. In a ying machine, the construction defined by claim 4, in combination with a pivotal link connection between said wings.

6. In a fiying machine the combination of two rotating disks set at an angle to the axes of rotation, carriers mounted thereon having flanges formed integrally with the carriers or secured thereto to which the main wing members are secured, pins projecting from each carrier in the fore and aft axial line of the disks and links mounted on the pins connecting the wings together, each link having a vertical reciproeating movement.

7. In a flying machine, an engine, two pairs of oscillating wings, and means for mounting one pair of wings forward of the engine and the other pair of wings at the rear of the engine, said means including for each pair of wings two shafts arranged in approximately a vertical plane and adapted to rotate in opposite directions, and two obliquely arranged disks each keyed to one of said shafts, each wing being mounted in substantially the same plane as its operating disk.

8. In a flying machine the construction defined in claim 7 characterized by the arrangement of the wings whereby one pair of wings shall be midway in the stroke, while the other pair is at the stroke end.

9. In a flying machine, a rotary shaft, a disk fixed on the shaft at an oblique angle with the shaft axis, a carrier mounted on the disk but not rotated thereby, and a wing fixed to the carrier in substantially the same plane as the plane of the disk, said disk acting to reciprocate the wing and also to continuously and progressively vary the angle of incidence of the wing with relation to its stroke.

l0. In a flying machine, the combination of an engine, a pair of shafts driven thereby in opposite directions, a wing mounted on each shaft, and means on each shaft for operating the wings comprising a disk secured at an angle to the shaft axis whereby each wing is reciprocated, and simultaneously the angle of incidence of each wing is varied to correspond with its stroke position and in unison with the other wing.

11. In a flying machine, a rotary shaft, a disk secured on the shaft at an angle to the shaft axis, a carrier mounted thereon but not rotated thereby, a wing fixed to the carrier, the said disks serving to contin` uously and progressively vary the angle of the wing, struts secured to the carrier and projecting from opposite sides thereof, and bracing wires for the wing secured to said struts.

JAMES DENNIS ROOTS. 

